Bumper



Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

" UNITED STATES,

PATENT oFFICE.

JOHN B. RAUEN, or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, nssienon T UNITED STATESBUMPER COMPANY, me, or LOS ANGELES, oamrormrmn CORPORATION onCALIFORNIA.

BUMPER.

Application filed May 20, 1925. Serial No. 31,612.

To all whom it may con-0cm)" Be it known that I, JOHN B. RAUEN, a

1 citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the countyof Los Angeles and State of California, have invented 'a new and usefulBumper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bumpers, and more particularly to an improvedform of construction of a bumper having a plurality of spaced springsteel forward impact bars and which is supported in the center in such amanner as to provide a resilient impact section between its ends ofapproximately uniform resistant characteristics as the same is distortedfrom its proper position by the impact force.

Spring steel bumpers, as now constructed, are for the most .part eitherunsupported at the central point or are of such construction a that thesame prevents any yielding of the bumperat such a single point much inthe manner as if a post was mounted uponthe frame in the center thereof.a a

These latter bumpers are of such construction that if the bumper issubjected to an impact force at its center the frames ofthe motorvehicle will be the part thereof that is damaged. The former class ofbumpers are of such construction that if the bumper receives an impactin its center portion it will offer practically no resistance orprotection'to the center part of the motor vehicle,

such as the radiator and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a bumper having a supportedcentral section that will offer a substantial resistance to impact atthis point but which is not so resistive as to prevent the bumper fromyielding at this point so that'the frame of.

Fig. is a sectional end elevation, taken substantially on the line 5-5ofFig. 1.'

Fig. 6 is a sectional rear elevation taken substantially on theline 66of Fig. 2.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, 1 illustrates a forwardimpact section preferably composed of spacedspring steel bars 2 and 3,looped at their ends as illustrated at 4 and provided at their and mostportion with eyes5. A pair of spring trated by the dotted lines in Fig.'2 than when the same are sprung into position to be engaged in thebracket 13 by means of the pins l l which pass through the eyes 11.

thereof.

This springing of the bars 6 and '7 into position enables the same topresent a greater resistance to an impact force at the central portionof the bumper. The bracket 18' is formed in two parts, a. rearwardcasting 15 which provides cars 16 through which the pins 14 arepassed,'and aforward section 17 which provides the monogram casting forthe bumper. The casting 15 is provided with an extended section 18 whichprojects between the bars 2 and 3 of the bumper and provides shoulders19 'to hold the same spaced apart. A bolt 20 is passed through the twocastings and maintains the same in position. a

The modified form of this invention illustrated in Fig. 3 differs fromthe modification thereof illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 in that the endsof the bars 2 and 3 are not bowed, as

at 4 in Figs. 1 and 2, but are slightly curved rearwardly as illustratedat 4. and in that the bars 6 and 7 are supported at their inner ends onpins 14: which are adapted to ride in slots 21 formed in the rearwardcasting 15. This construction and manner of The'bars 6 and 7 are of aless assembling enables the bars 6 and 7 to be extended at their innerends when the bumper is subjected to a slight impact, and the bars 6 and7 being bowed in areverse manner to the bars 6 and 7 the ends thereofThe modification of this invention illustrated in Fig. at difiers onlyfrom the modification thereof illustrated in Fig. 3, in that shackles22" are provided for supporting the bars 6" and 7 at their inner endsinstead of theslots 21 and in that the ends of the bars forming theimpact section 1 are not looped or curved rearwardly, but extendstraight out. transversely of; the motor ve hicle and provide eyes 4 attheir ends. The bars 6 and. 7 are bowed in the same manneras the bars 6and 7' as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 4-.

Having fully described a preferred em: bodiment of this invention, andseveral modifications thereof, it is to be understood that I do not wishto be limited to the exact construction herein set forth, or themodifications thereof, which may, obviously, be varied in detail;without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a bumper, a forward impact section comprising a plurality ofspacedbars, and a rear supportingsection including a pair of separatebars connected at, their outer ends to the forwardiimpact section, andconnected at their inner ends in strained condition to the forwardimpact sect-ion intermediate the ends thereof. I

2. In a bumper, a forward impact section comprising a plurality ofspaced bars, and a rear supporting section including a pair of separatebars connected at their outer ends to the, impact section, and connectedin strained condition at their inner ends to a casting, said castingbeing adapted to maintain. the. said bars spaced intermediate its ends.-

11th day of May 1925.

comprising a plurality of spaced bars, and a rear supporting sectionincluding a pair of separate bars connected at their outer ends to theforward impact section and connected at their inner endsto the forwardimpact section intermediate the ends thereof, in strained condition.

5. Ina bumper, a forward impact section comprising plurality of spacedbars, and

a rear supporting section including a. pair of separate bars connectedat their outer ends to the impact section and at: their inner ends to acasting in strained condition, said casting being adapted to maintainthe said bars spaced intermediate its ends said supporting bars beingmaintained in position agailisttheir normal tendency to bend.

6. In a bumper, a'forward impactsection comprising a plurality of spacedbars, and a rear supporting section including a pair of separate barsconnected at their inner ends to a casting in strained condition, saidcasting being adapted to maintain the said bars spaced intermediate itsends, said supporting bars being secured to the said casting'in a mannerto permit relative movement of their inner ends;

7. In a. bumper, a forward impact section comprising a plurality ofspaced bars, and a rear supporting section including a pair of' bowedseparate bar's connected at their outer ends to the impact section; andat their inner ends to a casting, said casting being adapted tomaintain; thesaid' bars spaced intermediate its ends said supportingbars being maintained in position against their normal tendency tobow,said supporting bars being secured to-the said casting in a manner topermit relativemovement oftheir inner ends.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this JOHN B.. RAUEN;

